IA’s administrative assistant Katie Bissey grew up running for the allergy meds any time she found herself in the vicinity of a cat—which was all the time because she adored them.
Yet to this day, few things cheer her up after a stressful day likea little time with her best cat friend, Simba.
He sounds a little like Garfield—orange, fat, lazy, sassy, and withholding of affection except with the right people under the right circumstances. He distains her friends and family and has taught himself to open doors—which as you may suspect, is not awesome. She once lay in bed terrified that an intruder had entered her apartment. It was just Simba practicing on the doorknobs.
In short, he may be a cat only his human can love. But love him she does.
“Simba brings me happiness and calmness,” says Katie. “I think it has a lot to do with him being a constant presence in my life. He’s been with me through a lot of ups and downs. It’s comforting knowing that no matter what he’ll always be there when I get home.”
Pets, turns out—even the kind that disobey doors and make your nose run—are good for your health in lots of concrete ways.
The CDC says pets lower your blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides. Harvard Health says some may even make you live longer.
Pets can inspire good habits—a lot of people will do things for their pets they might not necessarily do just for themselves, like go for walks. And it’s hard to feel too lonely with an animal for constant company. Almost 75% of pet owners say their pets have improved their mental health.
… Which makes us kind of curious what that other 25% of pets is up to, honestly—but hopefully, like Simba, they’ve found an understanding human companion.
Simba is a 9-year-old long-haired domestic tabby that Katie got at the Indianapolis Humane Society for her 16th birthday.
“He spends the majority of his day sunbathing throughout the house and begging for food— even when his food bowl is full,” Katie says. Which is probably why he weighs in at, ahem, 17 pounds.
He doesn’t give his affection away to just anybody. He took a full year to start letting Katie’s fiancé cuddle him. But maybe that’s one reason his single-minded love for Katie feels extra special.
“I truly think having Simba affects my health for the better, especially my mental health,” says Katie. “This may sound silly to some, but I don’t know where I would be without having Simba. He has been with me through losing loved ones, my first heart break, going off to college, moving to my own apartment, and so much more. He was the reason I would get up in the mornings even when I didn’t think I could.”
A lot of people felt the same during the pandemic, when pet adoptions soared. Ready for your own live-in healthcare provider? Consider a local shelter, and do a little homework first. Here’s a great place to start: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/adopting-animal-shelter-or-rescue-group.